Comments on: 10 Neat Facts About Carl Sagan

By: Aletha

Aletha — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:57:28 +0000

We named our son Sagan, after him. Really. He was born on 07/22/10. Carl Sagan rules!!

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:09:02 +0000

Not much info, but was awesome

By: Konstantinos

Konstantinos — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:11:38 +0000

Your very first sentence, described 100% my feelings about the man known as Carl Sagan.

Thank you.

By: MrMagoo

MrMagoo — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:26:52 +0000

@Larfin:”He is a true geek though, his sketch of a woman has no vagina [sic].”

Actually, the original draft of the artwork did include a line to denote the labia on the female figure, but the prudes at NASA were afraid that they’d offend some blue nose politicians in charge of their funding, so– off it came. Somehow that 1/8″ line was considered pornographic, & we can’t be sending porn into space, doncha’ know….

By: russ bates

russ bates — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:40:54 +0000

Hello – bigsoldier here -
bigsoldier once sat with Dr. Sagan at BosCon (Boston Science Fiction Convention) and Dr. Sagan said that he had read two of bigsoldier’s Mative American sci-fi stories. And he said, “I appreciate that the original natives of this continent know it far better than any European ever could. But your regard for Champ or Bigfoot or even your own Kiowan tribal belief in the Rivermen does not mean that such entities exist. For after all, are we not just random assemblages directed by the accidental paths of chemicals and compounds and byproducts so that our interpretations are just as random?” Whereupon, bigsoldier asked, “But Dr. Sagan, if that really were true, how is it that we could be having this conversation right this very minute?” And Dr. Sagan had no answer…

By: Johnny Cat

Johnny Cat — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:56:05 +0000

“The Sagan Unit” is by far the geekiest, most wonderful thing I’ve heard today, but whatever he was smoking, methinks it was more than cannabis.

Sagan also turned me on to the grandeur of the Verse. Kansas said it best: “Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.” Stuff that lasts forever truly fascinates, I only wish he was still with us to see the new discoveries.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:52:55 +0000

He was also assigned to a project to nuke the moon to freak out the Russians. FACT.

By: DragonLost

DragonLost — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:13:00 +0000

is it just me, i always thought that auto-tune sounded like Alf

By: Padraig

Padraig — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:26:11 +0000

I think you did the man a great honor, Alex. Thanks for the info, didn’t know quite a bit of it…

By: whozit

whozit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:04:47 +0000

Old Geezer: Sagan never said “billions and billions,” which popular legend attributes to him. On the Cosmos series he said the word “billion” with a pronounced, plosive “b” which many took to be a speech defect. According to Sagan, he emphasized the “b” to highlight that he was talking about billions, not mere millions. Whatever his reason, people latched on to it.

By: pwscott

pwscott — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:09:42 +0000

So when the aliens contact us we have to explain all this to them? I hope they learn our language on the way into the solar system. Of course when they get here it’s better odds they will hit a foreign country and all our efforts to claim credit will be thwarted by a Buddist.

By: Indranil

Indranil — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:27:38 +0000

Absolutely…his birthday must be celebrated as the international day of space exploration…(or some better coinage)

not just because Carl Sagan could foresee the importance of (real) science’s popularization to society’s ability to make intelligent decisions….

not just because he inspired many serious scientists to undertake the same task….

not just because he was a debunker of pseudo-science

not just because he was a great pacifist or because he espoused humanistic values…

but mainly because his vision of humans in space
is yet to be realized…. and the danger that humans will destroy themselves before that vision is realized is still present.

We need a constant reminder of what wonders lie unexplored in the universe, the space or other planets and can be explored if only we could learn to co-operate. I think no human (terrorists included) can feel hopeless if he/she is shown just what lies ahead!

We certainly need the Carl Sagan day to be celebrated internationally so that the audacity of hope is engendered in every citizen of this world!

By: Morris

Morris — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:20:14 +0000

“…most people assume that because science relies on logic and careful reasoning, scientists would behave in a clinical and dispassionate way. Nothing is farther from the truth. Carl’s popularity had backfired on him not once but twice…”

Something that troubles me is that while scientist sometimes eat their own, it is the public that fund much of their work. If Sagan is popular amoung the laymen, it might be a good thing for all scientist, because the public is more likely to support funding.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:07:50 +0000

To All:

My bad. You’re all correct that the article is talking about Nick Sagan, Carl’s son.

However, it doesn’t change the fact that NICK Sagan didn’t write the ST:ENT episode “Terra Prime”. The credits state:

Teleplay By
Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Manny Coto

Story By
Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and André Bormanis

By: Jennifer Gray

Jennifer Gray — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:37:06 +0000

I adore Carl Sagan. I wish he was still with us. He died way too soon.

By: Rich T

Rich T — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:08:32 +0000

Per the Volks ancedote- I want some of that stuff.

By: AnonymousIV

AnonymousIV — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:05:35 +0000

In #4 that isn’t irony.

By: Old Geezer

Old Geezer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:39:03 +0000

Let me get this straight. Carl Sagan never used the term “billions and billions.” He only wrote a book entitled “Billions & Billions.” So is it the ampersand or the capitalization that makes it different. I know! Someone else wrote the title?

By: chesh

chesh — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:38:41 +0000

I had the chance to see Carl’s widow, Ann Druyan, on a panel a few years back at Sundance, and spoke with her for a few minutes afterward. It was wonderful, and incredibly moving. Thanks for posting this.

By: SBG

SBG — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:01 +0000

You’re right, Joe. Carl didn’t write the episode. The post says his son Nick wrote it.

By: An0n

An0n — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:38:13 +0000

Joe – The article actually referred to Carl Sagan’s son Nick Sagan, not Carl himself.

By: garbo

garbo — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:35:28 +0000

You should check out Neil DeGrasse Tyson from the NY Planetarium. He has a similar child-like wonder and enthusiasm and ability to translate complex concepts. And he has a great story about meeting Carl: http://www.videosift.com/video/Neil-DeGrasse-Tyson-On-The-Day-He-Met-C arl-Sagan

By: DBinNYC

DBinNYC — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:35:23 +0000

@Joe –

Re-read the article. The author credits Carl Sagan’s son Nick as writing for Trek.

http://www.nicksagan.com/biography.html

By: Him

Him — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:07:48 +0000

Carl Sagan (along with Bill Nye) and their respective programs helped me to understand this vast and wonderful universe in which we live. I think he’d be proud of how much he’s taught the world.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:16:42 +0000

Just a geeky point of fact:

Carl Sagan died in 1996. Star Trek Enterprise aired from 2001 to 2005. There’s no way he could have penned the episode you suggest.

In fact, the writing credits confirm this fact: http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Terra_Prime_%28episode%29

I think the Carl Sagan Memorial plaque was put there by the writers of the show to memorialize this great man. I can’t imagine that Sagan would ever do something like that.

By: DRob

DRob — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:49:53 +0000

Larfin, the vagina is internal. It wouldn’t be visible from this angle.

By: Larfin Jackarse

Larfin Jackarse — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:28:37 +0000

A very neat man. Didn’t know about the pot thing…interesting. I am working my way thru Cosmos now…long show. Sad he is dead. He is a true geek though, his sketch of a woman has no vagina.

Not many people know he invented the Brazillion (upon Brazillion)